Working out which CEOs have made what out of their shares and options is an inexact science at the best of times. Do you take tax into account, should dividends be included, do you include options yet to be exercised, and what about profits on shares that have been sold or locked up in one of those increasingly popular Macquarie Bank “cap and collar” arrangements?

But none of that is going to stop Crikey embarking on the exercise of ranking our CEOs in terms of biggest windfalls (including retired CEOs like Tabcorp’s Ross Wilson and Westpac’s Bob Joss, who are both around the $50 million mark). Initially, we’re ignoring unexercised options and just starting with those CEOs who currently own a big whack of ordinary shares.

Dr David Morgan: Westpac, $87.8 million
Roger Corbett: Woolworths, $53.4 million
Allan Moss: Macquarie Bank, $39.4 million
John Macfarlane: ANZ, $33.7 million
Malcolm Broomhead: Orica, $29.8 million
Brian McNamee: CSL, $28 million (before dumping $17 million worth earlier this month)
Nick Falloon: Ten Network, $21.9 million
Michael Chaney: Wesfarmers, $18 million

Please send feedback and further suggestions to our resident business lists junkee Stephen Mayne on smayne@crikey.com.au.